Harry Potter And The Unseen Navigator
by nvzblgrrl
Summary: Harry Potter is not your average wizard for many reasons. He is the Boy-Who-Lived, savior of the wizarding world, the only known survivor of the Killing Curse... and haunted by the world's most unorthodox time-travelling, wise-cracking spirit? And how is this going to affect everyone's favorite turncoat Death Eater.


Normal boys went to school in clothes bought just for them, with lunch boxes packed by their mothers.

Normal boys lived with both of their parents in a four bedroom house, with one room for their parents, one room for them, one for guests and one for whatever interest the family shared.

Normal boys were not orphaned in one fell swoop by dark forces hereto unknown, dropped on their generally unpleasant relative's doorstep by well-meaning, if slightly ignorant, wizards, and then shuffled directly into the cupboard under the stairs by the person who was supposed to protect him.

Saying that Harry James Potter was not a normal boy would be an enormous understatement.

He did live in a four bedroom house, which had one bedroom for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, one bedroom for Dudley, his lump of a cousin, one for guests, most often Uncle Vernon's sister, Aunt Marge, and one for Dudley's toys. Harry was tucked away in the cupboard under the stairs, so there wasn't any need for another bedroom.

Harry did not receive anything firsthand, only receiving Dudley's cast-offs and anything that was forgotten. Harry did not get days off or special treats for good behavior, instead receiving beatings and berating words for the slightest mistake.

But he did have one thing that many normal children had during their youth; a friend that nobody else could see. Harry often neglected to mention the fact that he couldn't see this friend either, but as nobody cared to ask for any details, he never had to leave that particular detail in.

He could hear her though, and Navi, as she had introduced herself with a slight snicker, was devilishly funny at times. It was difficult not to laugh at her snarky one-liners, even when Uncle Vernon threatened to take out his belt. At the same time, though, she was a great help when it came to school, helping him with his spelling and with words that he didn't quite understand.

It was the moments when she got serious that Harry became worried. Like now, as he took note of a letter addressed to him of all people.

_Tuck that under your shirt, behind your belt._ Navi said, voice devoid of any inflection.

_Why?_ Harry thought with a faint confusion.

_Just do it before someone notices._ She had sighed into his mind. _We'll talk about it later, I promise. It's a time travel thing._

'Time travel' was one of Navi's great reasons for either saying something surprising or not saying anything at all. To anyone else, it simply sealed Navi's place in the Land of Make-Believe, but she had a tendency to be right, so Harry didn't really question it. He tucked the letter under his shirt and in the waistband of his pants. That was secure enough for now.

Uncle Vernon's voice rang through the house, startling the small boy. "What's taking so long, boy? Are you checking for letter bombs?"

Vernon was still chuckling at his little joke as Harry rushed into the room with the mail, placing it as neatly as possible on the plate that was in position for such things. Navi had suggested that he lay out the table as such, and, despite wondering how Navi knew anything about manners, he had done so. It had won a slight nod of the head from Petunia the first time, so it stayed.

"May I go back to my cupboard, sir?" Harry asked politely.

He hadn't received an answer other than a vague grunt, which was mildly fitting for his walrus-like appearance, but it was as good as a yes, so he scurried out of the room and into the spider-filled hole.

_I still don't like these little- _Navi cut herself off for a moment, apparently seeking a word that wasn't a profanity, before settling for just saying, _I don't like spiders. Anyway, are the premises secured?_

_No._

A sensation vaguely reminiscent of a shrug tickled the edge of Harry's mind. _Ah, well, not much we can do about that one. Is Duddykins about to break down the door for your daily rough up?_

_He still has six chocolate chip pancakes, twelve pieces of bacon and two halves of grapefruit with sugar, along with his chocolate milk and his orange juice._ Harry paused a moment in concentration. _So I guess we have about five minutes until his estimated time of arrival._

A quiet snicker echoed in Harry's mind. _I've taught you well, young grasshopper. Now, letter time. Who would be sending you anything and what does that mean?_

Harry drew the letter out silently, looking over the green calligraphy that clearly stated his name and exact address, turning it over repeatedly to see every detail. _It says it's from Hogwarts, wherever that is._

_If you want to know, then open it! _Navi needled in a mosquito buzz voice. _This is parchment, and that is some fancy a—some real fancy ink, so it's probably very important._

The sound of Dudley thudding down the hallway jarred both of them from their focus on the letter, but there was just enough time to hide it in a pile of Harry's faded and oversized clothes. He smiled for a split second before he was pulled bodily from the cupboard for another session with the Smeltings stick.

* * *

Later, after Harry was positive that the Dursleys were fast asleep, he had turned on his light and pulled out the letter from its hiding place. He read the address again.

**Harry Potter**

**Number 4 Privet Drive**

**The Cupboard Under The Stairs**

_You know, _Navi mused. _One would think that whoever addresses these would at the very least take a double-take at the mention of 'The Cupboard Under The Stairs'. I mean, seriously, the only worse things than that would be 'The Ancient Oubliette Without An Exit' or perhaps 'The Nail and Glass Shard-Studded Closet Also Known As The Chokey'._

Harry's eyebrows pricked up. _What's an oubliette?_

_Yes, it's sort of like a dungeon. _Navi explained in a perkily unhelpful tone. _Except no, not like that at all as the only door is in the ceiling rather than in a place where a door would normally be. If it was, it would just be called a dungeon._

Harry smiled softly, before breaking the wax seal on the letter. His smiled lingered almost as an afterthought as he read its contents.

**HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY**

Harry frowned as he read the name again. "This is ridiculous." He said aloud.

_Not as ridiculous as the American political party system. _Navi shot back.

**Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore**

**(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, **

**Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) **

_I think that this looks rather legit. I mean, Supreme Mugwump, that sounds pretty f- it sounds pretty sweet. You should aspire to be one of those… Whatever it is._

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

**Enclosed is a list of all necessary books and equipment. **

**Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.**

_What do they mean, 'await your owl'?_ Harry thought sourly, mood not improved by the confusing letter or the late hour. _How are we supposed to manage that?_

_I'll rate it as being a witchy thing. Can't really imagine a postman travelling by broom. I reckon he'd get pretty cold in those shorts._

Both Navi and Harry chuckled at the mental image.

**Yours sincerely,**

**Minerva McGonagall**

**Deputy Headmistress**

Harry swallowed his awkward laughter. This was beginning to look more and more serious.

**UNIFORM**

**First-year students will require:**

** sets of plain work robes (black)**

** plain pointed hat (black) for day wear**

** pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)**

** winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)**

**Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.**

Where was he supposed to get all of this? And, slightly more important, how was he supposed to afford it? Dragon _anything_ had to be expensive.

_Let's have a look at that course list…_

Harry blinked as he flipped the list around to the book section.

**COURSE BOOKS**

**All students should have a copy of each of the following:**

**The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk**

**A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot**

**Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling**

**A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch**

**One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore**

**Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger**

**Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander**

**The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble**

_It's just a little bit odd how appropriate some of these names are for the subjects, isn't it? _Navi mused.

Harry nodded before returning to the list.

**OTHER EQUIPMENT**

**1 wand**

**1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)**

**1 set glass or crystal phials**

**1 telescope**

**1 set brass scales**

**Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.**

_Cat. Totally get a cat. It's a time travel thing. Also I like cats. Unless we can get a horned toad, which is technically a lizard, but I think we could get it on a technicality._

_What if I don't want the lizard?_

_Then we can get a cat. Or an owl if you really want._

**PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS**

_Ah, but what about a boomstick? The twelve-gauge, double-barreled Remington? S-Mart's top of the li-_

_I thought we had a deal. _Harry thought flatly, the mysterious letter forgotten even though it was still clenched in his hand._ You wouldn't make any references to movies that haven't come out yet and I wouldn't shut you out._

_Aw. _Navi whined. _But it comes out next year! Forget it. Dropping the subject. But what do we do about this here letter?_ She pulled Harry's arm upright to wave the letter around.

"Stop that." Harry hissed, grabbing the wayward limb with his other arm before Navi could thump it against the wall and wake up Aunt Petunia like she had done many times before. "What do you think we should do about the letter?"

_Well, I doubt that us reading it, much less answering it will make your Aunt or Uncle happy… So naturally, we shall send a reply. Do you have any idea how to get an owl to send the post?_

* * *

One Week Later…

Professor McGonagall flipped through the replies, looking for one in particular. Ah, there it was; Harry Potter's letter. The reply had taken a little over a week to arrive after the initial delivery of his Hogwarts Acceptance letter. It had been a half-way pleasant surprise, as the letter had been delivered by what looked like a wild owl, of all things, but it had been delivered. Perhaps she had misjudged the character of the Dursleys…

She opened it.

**RE: HOGWARTS ACCEPTANCE LETTER**

**To whom it may concern (Navi says that Professor McGonagall the Transmogrification Teacher will be the one reading this, but I didn't want to be rude just in case it wasn't),**

_Who is 'Navi'?_ McGonagall thought.

**While I am happy and maybe just a little bit confused to be accepted at your school, I honestly have no idea what is going on with this. Navi swears by the four giants that occasionally punch the moon back into the sky it's not a prank and I wouldn't know anyone willing to go this far for a prank besides Navi and I know she didn't.**

**My aunt and uncle have no idea about this, including the first letter, but I suspect that they will not approve of anything magic related. Would it would be possible to send a professor or appropriate faculty member out to **_**convince**_** them? Navi told me to write that as ominously as possible, but if you could send the scariest person available (Navi informs me that there is a formidable Dungeon Master currently under Hogwarts employ who would give Aunt Petunia an apoplectic fit if she saw him, whatever that means) that would be most appreciated. **

**Sincerely,**

**Harry Potter**

**P.S. It took us about four days and a whole lot of mice to convince an owl to take the letter to Hogwarts, so I apologize for any further delays. I think that it's wild so sorry about that.**

Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. So they had behaved exactly as she expected. She did smile at the description of Severus though, and made a little mental note to take him along to collect Harry before taking the boy to shop for his school supplies.

It was slightly unsettling that Harry's friend knew so much about Hogwarts considering that he was supposed to be so far removed from magic. But, she admitted, it was probably thanks to this 'Navi' that Harry was able to take the news so well.

She walked over to the nearby fireplace, throwing in some Floo Powder. "Severus Snape! If you could please lend me a moment of your time."

* * *

"No."

"Severus."

"I refuse, Minerva."

"We're already on their street, Severus."

"I'll apparate right here."

"Severus."

"I don't care about witnesses."

"Severus."

"I am not going to deal with Potter's brat. I abhor arrogance and the boy-"

"You haven't even met the boy yet, Severus. And Harry is as much Lily's as he is James'."

"I know everything I need to know about _Potters_."

"Severus."

"I'm not taking it back, Minerva."

"Then why did you agree to come?"

"Because the possibility of sending Petunia Evans into an 'apoplectic fit' is too delicious to pass up."

"Severus."

"This is their house? How… pedestrian."

"Don't change the- It really hasn't changed since that day either… Oh, wait. The garden is actually much improved."

"Thank you." A third, much younger voice cut in. "I try. Aunt Petunia says that I'm hopeless at it though."

The two professors turned to face the speaker, a small runty boy wearing oversized clothes with greasy hair that still tried to jump up from his head and green eyes that seemed both alert and analytical.

Harry bowed slightly at Navi's suggestion. "I presume that you are both professors from Hogwarts?" He said.

"And what makes you think that?" Severus sneered.

"The cloaks are a pretty good indicator." Harry admitted with a shrug. "But Navi pointed you out, so I can't really take the credit for that."

Professor McGonagall tilted her head. "And where is Navi?"

Harry winced. "She ran off." He said, comforted by the technical truth. "Said it wasn't her business since it was my schooling and my relatives. But she did ask for an account of the incident."

Snape watched Harry carefully, studying every inch of the boy. "Do you normally wear glasses, Potter?"

Harry pulled the broken and twisted frames from his pocket and gestured with them at the approaching figure of his cousin as a means of answering. The expression had two layers; a resigned 'what can you do' on the surface, and an instinctive fear just visible beneath. Navi had coached him on the former to help deal with the later.

Snape scowled, though this time it was directed at someone that wasn't a student of his or a Potter.

As soon as Dudley saw the imposing black figure of one Severus Snape scowling in his direction, he stopped, wheels spinning for a moment before managing to shift into reverse.

_Dive, dive, dive._ Navi quipped in an official sounding voice.

Harry shook his head, before turning back to the two professors. "Sorry that you had to see that."

Professor McGonagall looked shocked. "Your cousin's bullying?"

"I actually meant Dudley in general, but that works too."


End file.
